When My Ex Becomes My Boss

CHAPTER 5

By the time they arrived at the venue, the atmosphere had already begun to shift.

The place was beautifully set, warm lights casting a soft glow across the room, tables arranged neatly, and a quiet hum of conversation filling the space. It was nothing like the structured, controlled environment of the office. Here, people seemed lighter, more relaxed, as though the weight of professionalism had been temporarily lifted.

Cece walked in with Sandy and Mika, taking in her surroundings briefly before they found a place to sit.

As soon as she settled, she reached for her phone.

Her fingers moved quickly across the screen.

I might be late. There is a company dinner.

A few seconds passed before Lucas replied.

No problem. Let me know when you are ready.

Cece let out a small breath, placing her phone down.

At least that was sorted.

After a while, the HR manager and Alex arrived together. Their entrance did not go unnoticed, but unlike earlier in the office, the reaction was different. There were greetings, of course, but the stiffness was gone.

Laughter filled the room. People spoke freely. The space felt alive.

The HR manager stood after a few minutes, raising a glass as he called for attention. Conversations quieted gradually as he began a short speech, welcoming Alex once again and speaking about growth, teamwork, and the future of the company.

It was brief. Formal, but not overly so. At the end, everyone raised their glasses.

“To the new director.”

There was a chorus of agreement before the room returned to its lively state.

People moved around, conversations blended, and the night unfolded without pressure. Cece tried to stay present, responding when spoken to, smiling when necessary, but her mind wandered occasionally.

She checked her phone more than once.

Then it rang.

She glanced at the screen before standing slightly from her seat.

“I will be right back,” she told Sandy and Mika as she stepped aside to answer.

“I am coming out now,” she said into the phone. “Give me a minute.”

She ended the call and returned briefly to the table.

“I have to leave,” she said.

Sandy frowned immediately. “Already?”

“Lucas is outside,” Cece replied simply.

Mika sighed softly, disappointment clear on her face. “At least stay a little longer.”

“I already stayed,” Cece said, picking up her bag. “I will see you tomorrow.”

Before leaving, she made her way to where the HR manager was seated to say goodbye. As she approached, she noticed Alex sitting beside him.

She paused for a brief second before continuing.

“I just wanted to say I am leaving,” she said politely.

The HR manager nodded. “Alright. Goodnight.”

But Alex had heard.

He turned slightly, his gaze settling on her.

“So soon?” he asked. “Are you not enjoying yourself?”

Cece kept her expression neutral. “I have something I need to attend to.”

Before she could say anything else, Sandy’s voice cut in from behind her.

“She has to meet her boyfriend,” Sandy said casually, as though it was the most natural thing to say.

Cece’s head snapped slightly toward her, her eyes narrowing just a bit.

That was unnecessary.

She turned back slowly.

Alex was already looking at her.

There was something in his expression now. Something sharper. Something she could not quite place, but it lingered.

Cece forced a small nod. “Goodnight sir.”

She turned and walked away before anything else could be said.

The cool night air met her as she stepped outside, a welcome contrast to the warmth inside. She reached into her bag, pulling out her phone as she prepared to call Lucas.

“Running away from me?”

The voice came from behind her.

Cece stilled. Slowly, she turned.

Alex stood a few steps away, his gaze fixed on her.

She straightened slightly, her expression shifting back into something professional.

“I am not running,” she said calmly. “I told you I had something planned.”

He stepped closer.

“Is it true?” he asked. “You are meeting your boyfriend?”

Cece held her ground.

“Yes.”

The answer came easily, without hesitation.

She watched his face carefully.

There it was. A flicker of something. She did not know why, but she felt a strange sense of satisfaction seeing it.

Before either of them could say more, a car horn sounded.

Cece turned.

Lucas leaned slightly out of the driver’s seat, signaling for her to come over.

She looked back at Alex briefly.

“Goodnight sir,” she said.

Then she walked past him and got into the car. The door closed, the engine started. And just like that, they were gone.

Alex remained where he stood, his eyes following the car until it disappeared into the night.

Five years, it had been five years. Of course she had moved on. Of course she had someone else. It was only logical.

And yet, logic did nothing to ease the feeling in his chest.

It was tight, uncomfortable.

He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. He had no right to feel this way. But that did not change the fact that he did.

Back in the car, Lucas glanced at Cece with a small, knowing smile.

“Who was that?” he asked.

Cece leaned back slightly. “My new director.”

Lucas raised a brow. “Already following you outside? That was fast.”

She hesitated for a moment, then she said it.

“He is my ex.”

The smile on Lucas’s face faded into confusion. “Wait… the one you told me about?”

Cece nodded.

Lucas let out a short breath. “How is he your director?”

“I do not know,” she admitted quietly. “I am still trying to understand it myself.”

He glanced at her again. “And how are you feeling?”

Cece looked out the window.

“I am fine,” she said.

Lucas did not push further.

Instead, he shifted the conversation.

He nodded before speaking again after a brief pause. “Should I tell my parents we broke up?”

Cece looked at him, then shook her head slightly.

“I do not mind,” she said. “We can keep things the way they are.”

Lucas smiled faintly. Their arrangement had never been complicated.

They had met two years ago under unexpected circumstances and formed an understanding that worked for both of them. Lucas needed a cover to keep his parents from questioning him, and Cece needed something that kept people from prying into her personal life.

So they became what everyone expected to see.

A couple.

Even if it was not real, it was simple, safe and predictable.

Cece leaned back against her seat, her thoughts drifting again despite her efforts. Tonight had changed something. She just did not know what yet.